The present invention relates to a compressor arrangement for the operation of a fuel cell system, wherein a compressed air flow can be supplied from the compressor arrangement, which is driven by an electric motor, to the fuel cell system and wherein the compressor and optionally the electric motor is at least partly surrounded by a sound insulation. The present invention also relates to a method for the cooling and/or sound insulation of a compressor arrangement provided for the operation of a fuel cell system and/or of at least one device associated with the fuel cell system and/or of an electric motor driving the compressor arrangement.
The need exists, particularly when using fuel cells in a power unit for motor vehicles, to provide a compact construction and also to keep the weight of the unit and also the noise produced as low as possible by suitable measures. The compressor which delivers compressed air to the fuel cell system forms one of the main noise sources. When using hydrogen as a fuel, the compressed air flow from the compressor is principally supplied to the actual fuel cells, i.e. to the stack. When using hydrocarbons as fuel, these must first be processed by reformation and various shift reactions into a synthesized hydrogen-rich gas for the actual fuel cells. Some of the devices which carry out the reformation and shift reactions must also be supplied with air in addition to the fuel cells, for which a compressor is likewise required. The designation fuel cell system is used here as a generic term, i.e. signifies, on the one hand, the fuel cell stack when driven by hydrogen, and also includes other devices requiring air when using a hydrocarbon as the fuel. The electric power required to drive of the electric motor is produced in operation by the fuel cells and supplied, after appropriate processing, to the electric motor.
Since the compressor is known to be the main noise source, it is normally provided with a sound insulation in order to keep the radiated noise as low as possible. The electric motor which drives the compressor also forms a source of noise and it is likewise known to provide this motor with a sound insulation. It is, however, problematic that the compressor and/or the electric motor and also further devices which radiate sound waves can only be encapsulated inadequately, because otherwise a build-up of heat occurs.
The object of the present invention is to design a compressor arrangement and also a method of the initially named kind such that a compact simplified construction results on the one hand and such that an effective and indeed improved noise attenuation is achieved on the other hand, without undesired heat build-up arising.
In order to satisfy this object provision is made, in accordance with a first variant of the invention, that the sound insulation is air permeable and is provided within a housing which at least partly surrounds the compressor and preferably also the electric motor and in that a part of the inlet air flow for the compressor arrangement can be directed through the air permeable sound insulation before it enters into the compressor inlet.
Through the design of the thermal insulation as an air permeable sound insulation and through the guidance of the air inlet flow for the compressor arrangement through the air permeable sound insulation before it enters the compressor inlet one succeeds in cooling the compressor arrangement, and optionally also the electric motor which drives it, since the sucked-in environmental air first has to flow through the sound insulation surrounding the compressor arrangement and the electric motor before it enters into the compressor inlet. Since the environmental air has a temperature which lies significantly below the working temperature of the compressor arrangement and of the electric motor, an effective cooling of the compressor arrangement and/or of the electric motor can be achieved by this air guidance and one can at least partly dispense with cooling systems which operate with liquid coolant.
Furthermore, the compressor arrangement of the invention has the advantage that the sucked in air is preheated, which with cold environmental air wold otherwise require special preheating devices, which are now superfluous. Thus, with the subject of the invention, energy for the electrical preheating of air in winter is not unnecessarily wasted in contrast to the prior art.
With hotter environmental temperatures the invention admittedly leads to an unnecessary heating up of the environmental air, which reduces the performance of the compressor arrangement. However, it has been shown that this disadvantage can be tolerated, particularly since the efficiency of the compressor arrangement can be increased through the effective cooling thereof.
In accordance with a further variant of the present invention a compressor arrangement is provided for the operation of a fuel cell system comprising at least one device to be cooled which is associated with the fuel cell system, wherein a compressed air flow can be supplied from the compressor arrangement to the fuel cell system and also comprising a motor driving the compressor arrangement, in particular an electric motor, with the special characterization that the device(s) to be cooled and/or the compressor arrangement and/or the electric motor is or are accommodated in an air guiding duct or air guiding housing which leads to the compressor inlet.
Here, the invention provides that the sucked in environmental air can likewise be used to cool other devices of the fuel cell system which would otherwise have to be provided with liquid cooling. Such liquid cooling makes a large number of hoses and bypass lines necessary and ultimately increases the size of the radiator that is used and also of the energy required for the operation of the radiator, which in turn represents a loss of useful energy of the fuel cell system. Through the use of the inlet air flow for the cooling of such devices, i.e. of smaller and medium sized components, which represents assistance for the main cooling system, a simplification of the system takes place, since many hoses, bypass lines, valves, etc. become unnecessary. This also leads to a more compact construction, since the arrangement is simplified as a whole. Moreover, the forced venting of the sound insulated spaced associated with the special air guidance results in the reduction of the danger of local overheating. Since many hoses and bypass liens and also valves and devices for air preheating etc. can be dispensed with, not only is the spatial requirement and the weight of the unit reduced, but rather the reliability of the fuel cell system also increases.
When the sucked in air flow is used for the cooling of further devices of the fuel cell system, it is not absolutely essential to surround them with a sound insulation as well, in particular when they do not represent a significant source of noise. Nevertheless, a sound insulation can be sensible in order to ensure that a uniform flow of cooling air around the device takes place and to prevent air flowing past the devices itself forming a source of noise.
When a sound insulation is provided then this preferably has the form of an open-celled foam material and consists in particular of polyurethane foam. In this way, attention is paid to achieving an effective sound insulation with low inherent weight and adequate temperature resistance and that the pressure loss which arises is kept low. On the other hand, a foam material of this kind has adequate strength, so that it does not collapse under the suction pressure and so that the danger of parts of the foam material splitting off and entering into the compressor does not exist. Furthermore, the foam material acts as a type of filter and thus keeps contamination in the air flow away from the compressor inlet.
The sound insulation can also be realized by a metal braid or a random layer of metal similar to a pan scrubber consisting of metal ribbons which likewise act in an air permeable and sound insulating manner. Such metal structures have a high temperature resistance and, because they are thermally conducting, conduct heat away from the articles to be cooled and hereby enlarge the surface area which enters into contact with the air flow, whereby the efficiency of the cooling is improved.
Through the design of the air flow passage or air flow housing it can also be ensured that the cooling which arises is matched to the article to be cooled, i.e. takes place to an adequate degree where it is required. Methodwise, the invention is characterized in that the air inlet flow sucked in by the compressor arrangement is led through an air guiding duct or an air guiding housing past the devices(s) and/or the compressor arrangement and/or the electric motor before it enters into the compressor inlet.
Particularly preferred embodiments of the invention can be found in the subordinate claims.